Siraj Anwar is an Analyst based in the UAE. Prior to joining TrailRunner International, Siraj interned at the law firms Kochhar & Co Inc. and Herbert Smith Freehills.
Siraj holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Birmingham and a Master of Science in Law, Business, and Management from The University of Law, Birmingham. In his free time, Siraj enjoys playing cricket, watching documentaries, and learning about horology.
Julia is an Analyst based in TrailRunner International’s New York office.
Prior to becoming an Analyst, Julia interned for TrailRunner. Before that, she worked at A+E networks as a Project Management Coordinator supporting the company’s corporate outreach initiatives. Additionally, through Northeastern University’s Cooperative Education program, Julia completed two co-ops at Boston-based technology and healthcare public relations firm, PAN Communications.
Julia graduated with a Bachelor of Science in business administration from D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University. In her free time, she enjoys trying out new restaurants and spending time with family, friends, and her dog, Finnegan.
Maribeth Darling is a Director at TrailRunner International based in New York, bringing over a decade of experience in public relations, marketing, and brand management with a focus on corporate and financial communications. She specializes in financial storytelling and media relations for clients across various sectors, including enterprise tech, e-commerce, fintech, cybersecurity, and others.
Prior to TrailRunner International, Maribeth was a Vice President at Hotwire Global, leading corporate communications and financial communications work for technology clients, from Fortune 1000 companies to challenger brands, dealing with significant business transformations and crises. Before Hotwire, Maribeth was a Director at ICR, where she led clients through special situations, including IPOs, M&As, and SPACs.
Maribeth began her career at boutique agencies, working with 501(c)(3) nonprofits in the New York City area. She was recognized in 2023 as a “Rising Star in PR” by Business Insider. With a strong passion for developing talent, Maribeth has mentored students in Minnesota’s Twin Cities Career Exploration program, helping shape the next generation of PR professionals.
A graduate of SUNY Cortland with a Bachelor of Arts in history, Maribeth is an avid world traveler and enjoys exploring new cultures. Outside of work, she enjoys snowboarding and discovering local breweries with her husband and Labradoodle, Lenox.
Danielle Boyd is a Director at TrailRunner International based in Dallas/Fort Worth, bringing more than a decade of media and communications experience.
Danielle joins TrailRunner International from the Burson subsidiary Direct Impact, where she served as an Account Director specializing in corporate reputation, brand awareness, crisis communications, public affairs, and grassroots campaigns. Before Burson, Danielle worked for NEC Corporation of America, where she led internal and external communications.
Danielle’s background also includes serving as a spokesperson for the Texas Department of Transportation and working for nearly a decade in a wide range of roles in broadcast news, including as Consumer Investigative Producer and Assignment Editor, for the NBC affiliate in Dallas/Fort Worth.
Danielle holds a Bachelor of Arts in broadcast communications from the University of Texas at Arlington and a master’s degree in professional counseling from Amberton University. Outside of work, she enjoys experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, spending time with her dogs, and traveling.
Sayema Wasi is an Associate at TrailRunner International based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Sayema brings nine years of experience across both agency and in-house roles and a background in journalism, helping shape communications strategies for clients in several sectors including technology, finance, and logistics.
Sayema joins TrailRunner International from Golin MENA, where she was an Account Director and Head of the Corporate Practice, leading communications programs for several Fortune 500 companies. Previously, she held roles at Edelman and APCO Worldwide. Sayema’s background also includes a key role at Meta (formerly Facebook), where she led internal communications and program management for the Global Operations Knowledge Management team across the Americas, Europe, and Asia Pacific regions.
Sayema holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication from the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Dubai, UAE.
Sydney McWilliams is an Analyst based in TrailRunner International’s New York office. Prior to becoming an Analyst, she participated in the firm’s internship program. She also completed the Wells Fargo Equity Sales and Trading Summer Analyst program.
Sydney graduated from Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Arts in economics and a minor in psychology.
In her free time, Sydney enjoys Pilates, spending time with friends and family, watching sports, and traveling.
Kendra DeSimone is an Analyst in TrailRunner International’s Nashville office. Prior to becoming an Analyst, Kendra participated in the firm’s internship program. She also interned at AL Media Strategy and with the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Small Disadvantaged Business Utilization in Washington, D.C.
Kendra graduated from Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Arts in politics, international affairs, and communication.
In her free time, Kendra enjoys traveling, spending time with family, friends, and her dog Korbin, and exploring new food finds in the Nashville area.
Grace Cutler is an Analyst based in TrailRunner International’s New York office. Prior to becoming an Analyst, she participated in the firm’s internship program. Grace also interned at SiriusXM on the Promotions & Events team, and at Oath, a startup intended to help political donors maximize their impact.
Grace graduated from Wesleyan University where she majored in American studies and French and minored in global engagement.
Grace enjoys playing soccer, taking yoga classes, and trying new restaurants with friends.
Lindsay Gross is a Director at TrailRunner International based in New York, bringing more than a decade of experience as a senior strategic advisor to some of the world’s most influential and high growth companies.
Most recently, she was a Director at Brunswick Group, serving as a key advisor to leadership teams at public and private companies across industries, particularly in the consumer, technology, and financial services spaces. Her work entailed complex transactions such as M&A, IPOs and spin-offs, financial communications, crisis management, business and organizational transformation, corporate positioning, media relations, and brand building.
Prior to Brunswick, Lindsay served as a Principal at Kekst CNC, advising senior clients on diverse and often high-stakes reputational matters. Before that, she held several roles at Weber Shandwick, including Senior Manager for Corporate Issues and Financial Communications.
Over her career, Lindsay has also completed in-house secondments during periods of significant change – including a high-profile spin-off and a pandemic-era organizational restructuring and global technology transformation.
Lindsay holds a Bachelor of Science in communication studies from Boston University and a Master of Science in corporate and organizational communications, magna cum laude, from New York University. In her spare time, she is an avid hiker, Peloton member, and long-suffering Brooklyn Nets fan. She lives in the New York City suburbs with her husband Evan and daughter Blake.
Erica Wu is an Associate for TrailRunner International based in Shanghai.
Prior to joining TrailRunner International, Erica served as Public Relations Manager for two financial communications firms in Hong Kong where she primarily worked on IPO communications for clients from various industries including energy, health care and real estate. Before that, also in Hong Kong, she worked for a commercial bank as a customer service officer and as a researcher for a financial media company.
Erica holds a Master of Science degree from Hong Kong Baptist University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Southwest University of Political Science & Law, China.
Erica is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, watching movies, and going to concerts.
